Though it was not a long ride from Redponn, Robert was tired and had enormous dark scorch marks up the left side of his body. He slumped forward on his horse and closed his eyes.

He woke up as he hit the ground just outside of the castle walls. He lay face down and breathed heavily. The cool frost on the grass revived him and he slowly sat upright. His horse was standing several feet away watching. He tried to stand but as he did he fell again. He waved his horse over and used his body to stand, then he then mustered all of his strength to get back on top. He wrapped his wrists around the reigns and used his weight to keep himself in place.

They reached the castle doors and there he let himself fall at the stairs. Soldiers rushed to him and led him to his chamber. Kari and Jeplin were immediately alerted to Robert's dramatic return. He was unconscious by the time they ran to his room. One of the people was dedicated to helping anyone with ailments, Thorm, was undressing him to find his injuries. "Robert!" she yelled. She ran to his side. He had horrid burns on his torso."What do you think?" Thorm asked. Jeplin touched the large opening in his arm. "Get some water-soaked cloth," he said without moving his gaze.

Thorm brought several pieces of cloth on a tray and lied them on every burnt part of his body. His body seemed to relax, and the water began to soothe him successfully. Jeplin placed his hand on Robert's forehead. He gestured for Thorm to hand him the pitcher of water next to him. He took the pitcher and slowly poured cold water onto his hand. It streamed down his fingers and covered the sides of Robert's head and pooled below on the pillow. Robert began to slip back into consciousness. Jeplin stepped back and took a deep breath, relaxing his muscles. Ok, I can take it from here. Jeplin placed his palms on one of the cloths covering the biggest wound. He placed his left hand down on the damp cloth and then his right on top. Kari watched him intently. Jeplin closed his eyes and stood like that without moving for a few minutes. He removed his hands then poured more water on the cloth and moved to the next one.

Several days later they sat at a table in the room next to the throne room. Kari did not venture into the throne room often, its vision was too dreary for her.

Kari was organizing some maps and heard the door open. she looked up and saw it was Robert. She and Jeplin jumped up and helped him to the table. "I'm so glad you are alright," she said. They sat and jeplin looked at him seriously, "What happened?" He asked.

"King Richon is dead."

There was an air of depression that suddenly surrounded them. . Richon was their most powerful ally. "He was the only person we are close to that was around when the war began," Kari said. "We lost a key piece of our victory.". "Well we are requested to attend the funeral and subsequent Coronation." Robert continued " I have faith in Richon that his children are going to be good leaders, though I don't think I've met his oldest son," Jeplin said. Robert cringed slightly. "I have, he is not the type of man to lead an army, but he may be understanding of what needs to be done to win. I hope." "When is the funeral?" Jeplin asked. "In five days from today." "We should get ready to leave now."

Kari's face, turned a shade of white, and clenched her fists. "Tythian?" She said hoping she was wrong. “Yes.” said Jeplin, "do you know him?" “Unfortunately, he was the man beating the servents that Marcel brought here for me.

Robert sighed, he was relieved someone knew the atrocities the heir liked to commit. No matter how horrible he is we must attend. “I don't think It would be wise,” Kari said. Jeplin looked at her. “The last time I was near him I hit him.” Robert tried to hold in his laughter but couldn't. "Maybe he won't remember you?" “Maybe he won't...I was wearing just pants and a blouse, I do look different in my royal fair." "Just in case you can wear a mask or veil of some kind."

The three of them were clad completely in royal affectations Kari and Jeplin were both wearing their crowns in honor of Richon. Kari wore a long emerald gown that complimented her blue cloak. Her hair was down, covering her left shoulder. Because of the cold weather, they all wore leather gloves and Kari as suggested was wearing fabric around her face, which was convenient in the cold. Her piercing eyes peeked out and glistened in the sunlight.

As they rode through the gates of Asiroth and through the city their citizens crowded around to see the rare sight. They all sat tall and authoritatively a lasting image. Kari loved riding through the city, it looked better and better as it was repaired more and more each day.

The ride was enjoyable with the fresh almost spring air. The fingers of winter seemed to finally be letting go of their stronghold around the kingdom. They took the time to clear their minds of war and enjoy the ride. They relived memories they had of Richon. Robert who spent a lot of time at Redponn had many hilarious and entertaining stories. Kari's only memory worth mentioning was her and Jeplin's coronation. She thought back when she first saw Jeplin wearing his crown. That was when she first saw him as he was, a strong leader. It wasn't the crown, but the way he carried himself while wearing it. This led to the memory of them meeting in the corridor after the meeting with Richon when Jeplin took her to the hidden garden. She knew at that moment years ago she loved him.

As they reached the Kingdom of Redponn they saw the enormity of the event. Thousands from all over attended. The three reunited with Thomas, Charles, and Marcel. Stefan and Kari locked eyes and both smiled in almost a trance-like way, as they always had. They walked over to each other and hugged. He held onto her, and as though time stopped she could feel his heart beating.

After various rituals, Richon was carried to his pyre. The six of them all stood on a grassy knoll away from all others and they watched the fire devour his body silently. The crowds below were not simply mesmerized by the fire but by the vision of some of the greatest warriors alive standing together. As night fell, a tradition followed, and his close family and friends danced around the fire. The six of them included. Kari danced wildly, leaping and releasing all tension from the death. Richon’s eldest son, Tythian, appeared at the edge of the crowd, he stood awkwardly watching the flames." His skin was pale and it looked as though he spent most of his life inside, which was true. A lovely lady who looked quite similar urged him to dance with her. She held him as they slowly and gracefully turned about. An eerie but beautiful spectacle. The colors and shapes flew past Kari's face as she spun around. Showers of embers brightened the darkness that surrounded her. Hundreds joined the celebration and chaos.

The next day all that was left of Richon was his crown and a pile of ash. The fire convulsed a bit around the edges of the former pyre. The grass that was unharmed the night before was now tickled with loose embers. A private group stood close to the ashes and walked with a man cloaked in gold. Their procession brought the ash-laden crown to the balcony. Kari smiled thinking about her coronation, which was on that very balcony what seemed like a lifetime ago. Kari And Jeplin were the only outsiders allowed to stay on the balcony as the coronation ceremony began.

The coronation lasted several hours, the last moments of the ceremony were moving and somber. The crown was slowly placed on Tythian’s head and the crowd below cheered wildly. The ceremony was followed by an enormous celebration. Anyone that could attend did. Richon was loved and in turn, they transferred the love to his son. Kari wanted to do the same but she sensed something different. She could feel the effects of the king's death taking hold of the atmosphere. It was no longer welcoming and jovial despite the celebrating she knew an icy wind was on its way. Despite the limited time at Redponn in the past she always remembered a distinct feeling that flooded her while she was there. It was the feeling of comfort and protection. The feeling most would get from being at home. She stood still for a moment trying to identify what was on the air at that moment, it was different. Unknown.

Only two days later the celebration ended and Thomas, Charles and Stefan gathered their possessions to join the others in the ride to Asiroth. Robert, who had spent a lot of time with Richon keeping his army at Redponn at his request and convenience, led his soldiers in the same direction. He was unsure of the consequences of Tythians rule and did not want to overstep his boundaries until they reaffirmed the alliance. They walked together casually, no real threat pursuing them. As they reached the border of their destination Robert veered off without a reason or intention. He simply said he had to investigate something and he would return. Jeplin looked at him uneasily as if he know what he was about to do.

Asiroth was approaching recovery, repairs of buildings and homes resulted in the flooding of citizens from the castle to the city surrounding the walls of the castle. This transition left the estate open for Robert's soldiers.

The soldiers took up their positions in the castle. Kari now had advisers and guards and strategy experts. It was odd for her to have real structure, it was like when she was living in Absconditi. She felt a bit relieved that she was not in charge of leading a whole kingdom on the battlefield, mainly because she had little tactical knowledge. Despite the relief, she did feel sad that she was not the only person to turn to during an attack. She did like the blind worship and trust.

Kari spent a lot of the summer enjoying the back garden. The large attacks from hordes of soldiers subsided with the death of Henry, she was very sure it was not over, but she took the time to relax. Kari sat on the top of a short stone wall, the rough sandy gray chunks of stone brushed lightly against the back of her legs. She looked behind her, the ledge being just outside one of the study windows, she could see into it by tilting her head.

The fireplace she normally sat at was stale and empty and even more morose looking through the window panes. She turned back around and faced the yard. It was a vast stretch of land. The section of greenery stretching around the wall she was sitting on was thin and slowly recovering from hundreds and hundreds of footsteps. The dreary blemishes were barely noticeable next to the variety of vibrant and fragrant flowers that dotted the unharmed sections of the ground. Kari's favorite flower was the peony, just like her mother and her grandmother. Big Peonies lined the wall but nowhere else. She did not mind, it allowed the flowers to be seen from the study and the balcony above. She gracefully and slowly reached her hand down to her knee and plucked one from the bush. She cradled the head in her palm Inhaling its fragrance. She loved not only the scent but its beautiful large petals that layered to create large lush balls of pale pink that hug off clumps of greenery like a fancy fruit. She smiled. The day was too beautiful not to. She looked up at the perfect azure sky and thought about life before she knew who she really was. She felt like she did back in Absconditi, free. Though there were some similarities she also felt a twanging hollow feeling. It was the uncertainty of what to do without fighting or traveling. She knew the peace wouldn't last but she still felt odd. She had not lived a normal life in a long time and wasn't sure how it would work with her in Asiroth. She had no one above her, no one to tell her what she needed to do.

She looked ahead, She could see the large walls not that far off of the hedge maze that lay in a comatose manner in the middle of the back terrain. She had not spent any time exploring or evaluating it. She wondered if there was anything worth seeing inside it. It was last maintained many years before. Some of the edges were gone and left gaping holes. Despite the destruction, there was still a good chunk that held its shape. Kari hopped off the ledge and walked through the entryway. The walls were about an arm's length apart from each other. The ground was muddy with hints of bright green grass peeking through. She tried to peer through the bare spots to figure out where the maze went and if there was anything held in it. She was caught up in her own thoughts. Marcel stood on the balcony and looked down at the land before him. He saw Kari standing at the mouth of the maze. He laughed. As she entered it he decided he was going to run down and join her. As Marcel closed in on her she could hear rustling. She began to feel uncomfortable, she turned towards the notice and pulled a large knife from her boot and held it as her arm dangled next to her leg waiting. She stood listening, silently. She heard a laugh and immediately recognized the voice. She smiled. He jumped out at her. She laughed with him and pretended to come after him with the knife.

After they finished jesting they continued the walk. she asked him about the maze and he began to tell her about its history. She looked at him every couple of words, his face was not expressive but he emoted and gestured with the inflections of his voice and hands. They were abruptly interrupted by the sound of the horn. The particular horn marked the return of Kari's close advisers or friends. She immediately knew it was Robert. They raced into the study. Robert was pulling Jeplin through the door just as Kari and Marcel entered from outside, he gestured for them to join.

“Look at this, I intersected. Some mail and these are recent.” “What!?” Robert said, looking shocked. “The signature…”“What’s wrong?” Kari asked. Robert pointed at the signature, it was a fancy letter “H.” "This is the way Helam signed his name and when Henry took over he signed the same way. Sometimes Henry was even called Helam." "The empire lives on. As I assumed it would. But there was always a tiny bit of hope it would lose its footing without a strong contender for a leader."

Jeplin stepped in again. "That isn’t all." he said. Robert looked at him. "Oh no…" he said. Jeplin placed more papers on the table. Marcel leaned down first and quickly read through them. "Tythian is working for Helam?!” He said shocked. “Helam?” Kari asked, “I thought he died?” “Yes, but when we say Helam in a general sense we mean Helam or his successors.” “Tythian, I knew he was horrible, I should’ve punched him harder when I had the chance.”Robert laughed and Marcel interjected, “this is bad news.” “We can’t go back to Redponn anymore, we would all be in danger there.” Robert put his hand out. “True, but we can’t act like we know, we might have an advantage here. Even though it might only be for a little while he doesn’t know we know.” Jeplin looked out the window, “that makes me wonder if Richons death was natural. We should go to Redponn as a goodwill gesture to see how Tythian is. We will say we are there to discuss the continuation of the alliance." She gestured for him to continue. "They will welcome us since they don't know what we know what he has been doing, then we can find out his plans." "Spying is a deadly game Jeplin." Stefan warned, "I have no problem doing it; Richon let the castle run wild with guests and visitors; I can't see Tythian changing anything too quickly." "Let's hope." Robert figured that this window would be their only chance to get into the castle without suspicion. However, they had no idea the size of the window.

"I can't decide if it is wise for all four of us to go. Kari should go; Tythian most definitely underestimates women. She will be able to slip in unrecognized, though not as the queen; she needs to be someone less formal, your servant possibly." He said as he looked at Jeplin. Kari agreed to the temporary demotion. She knew she would sooner go on a dangerous mission with Jeplin, but she was drawn to Marcel nevertheless. Robert continued, "He would not like it if I visited; he knows the power I have there. The best bet would be Kari and Jeplin." She looked to Marcel; they both knew that it was the most logical decision, but that did not stop them from being sad. They had to be a part again only a few months after finally being in the same city again. After dinner, Jeplin instructed Kari to pack. She was in her room, carefully rolling clothing and placing them into a pouch, when there was a knock on her door. She looked over, the door was already open, and Marcel was standing at the entrance. She smiled; she was always glad to see him. He had an odd temper sometimes and was very set in his ways and opinions. It did not matter; they supported each other. "I don't like that you are leaving." He said a bit uncharacteristically. "I know; I don't want to go either." "Honestly, ever since we met, we have not had a long period where we were able to be together or work together, and now that we are both living in the same place, I have to leave." Stefan walked over to her. She looked up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. She could not hug him back; his arms entirely constrained her. She pressed her face against his chest and closed her eyes. At that moment, she felt wholly protected, her guard was down, and the war had vanished from her mind. As he began to loosen his arms from her, she looked into his eyes, and they kissed. She pulled him in at the base of his neck and h,e her waist.

Jeplin and Kari stood on the front lawn; all eyes were on them. Their capes blew in the wind, along with Kari's soft nimble hair, in the warm summer air. Jeplin and Kari, like when they were younger, got onto one horse together. The journey was simple, and with only the two of them, their traveling speed was much faster. The hills of lush green were silky and glistening from the recent rain. The horse carefully planted his hooves with purpose on every inch of it. Kari felt uncomfortable as they reached the gates of the city. Redponn had always been beautiful; despite everything from drought to war, the plants and flowers always bloomed. That day it seemed like there were fewer flowers. As they reached the gates, the soldiers guarding the door recognized them and let them pass. Kari was very aware of the trust involved in such a gesture. Jeplin fastidiously noted all of the new additions of security and precautions. He hoped that they weren't too late to get what they needed. Once inside the doors, they were asked to remove all of their weapons. Kari looked at Jeplin. He tilted his head, telling her to follow the orders. Even with Jeplin by her side, she felt uncomfortable without her sword. Armed men surrounded them, and then they were marched into the throne room. Even more, soldiers lined the walls inside. The stretch from the door to the throne seemed further than it was before. The new king slouched uncomfortably on the throne. His face was young, but his hair was white. It matched his calm yet domineering attitude.

They exchanged greetings and began to discuss the alliance. Jeplin noticed several tables with papers spread out everywhere; there were also maps. He wanted to draw Kari's attention to it, but he did not want Tythian to notice. They were about to get seriously involved in the conversation, but a man came to the king's side and whispered something; then, he suggested they continue the next day. He stood up; he looked more bored than concerned and walked out. Jeplin knew many of the men there very well; they were not able to make any attempt to talk toi them by orders of the king. Kari looked at their stone faces, silent but not still. She smiled. Two men led Jeplin and Kari to a room and locked the door. Kari pointed at the door, "did you hear that." She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "This is bad." agreeing with her sentiment. "Though it's not as bad as it could be." There were plates of food left for them already; Jeplin expressed his happiness that they were placed in the same room, alluding to the fact that their intended facade was working.

As night fell, Jeplin was careful to avoid making noise and made his way to the door; Kari followed suit.

Jeplin finally broke the silence. She was intrigued. He stood up and began to pace. "We should go to Redponn as a goodwill gesture to check in on Tythian. We will say we are there to discuss the continuation of the alliance." She gestured for him to continue. then we can find out his plans." "Spying is a deadly game Jeplin." Marcel warned, "I have no problem doing it; Richon let the castle run wild with guests and visitors; I can't see Tythian changing anything too quickly." "Let's hope," Robert interjected.

"I can't decide if it is wise for all four of us to go. Kari should go; Tythian most definitely underestimates women. She will be able to slip in unrecognized; she can not go as the queen; she needs to be someone less formal, your servant possibly." He said as he turned to Jeplin. Kari agreed to the temporary demotion. She knew she would sooner go on a dangerous mission with Jeplin, but she was drawn to Marcel nevertheless. Robert continued, "He would not like it if I visited; he knows the power I have there. The best bet would be Kari and Jeplin." She looked to Marcel; they both knew that it was the most logical decision, but that did not stop them from being sad. They had to be a part again only a few months after finally being in the same city again. After dinner, Jeplin instructed Kari to pack. She was in her room, carefully rolling clothing and placing them into a pouch, when there was a knock on her door. She looked over, the door was already open, and Marcel was standing at the entrance. She smiled; she was always glad to see him. He had an odd temper sometimes and was very set in his ways and opinions. It did not matter; they supported each other. "I don't like that you are leaving." He said a bit uncharacteristically. "I know; I don't want to go either." "Honestly, ever since we met, we have not had a long period where we were able to be together or work together, and now that we are both living in the same place, I have to leave." Marcel walked over to her. She looked up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. She could not hug him back; his arms entirely constrained her. She pressed her face against his chest and closed her eyes. As he began to loosen his arms from her, she looked into his eyes, and they kissed. She pulled him in at the base of his neck and he her waist.

Jeplin and Kari stood on the front lawn; all eyes were on them. Their capes blew in the wind, along with Kari's soft nimble hair, in the warm summer air. Jeplin and Kari, like when they were younger, got onto one horse together. The journey was simple, and with only the two of them, their traveling speed was much faster. The hills of lush green were silky and glistening from the recent rain. The horse carefully planted his hooves with purpose on every inch of it. Kari felt uncomfortable as they reached the gates of the city. Redponn had always been beautiful; despite everything from drought to war, the plants and flowers always bloomed. That day it seemed like there were fewer flowers. As they reached the gates, the soldiers guarding the door recognized them and let them pass. Kari was very aware of the trust involved in such a gesture. Jeplin fastidiously noted all of the new additions of security and precautions. He hoped that they weren't too late to get what they needed. Once inside the doors, they were asked to remove all of their weapons. Kari looked at Jeplin. He tilted his head, telling her to follow the orders. Even with Jeplin by her side, she felt uncomfortable without her sword. Armed men surrounded them, and then they were marched into the throne room. Even more, soldiers lined the walls inside. The stretch from the door to the throne seemed further than it was before. The new king slouched uncomfortably on the throne. His face was young, but his hair was white. It matched his calm yet domineering attitude.

They exchanged greetings and began to discuss the alliance. Jeplin noticed several tables with papers spread out everywhere; there were also maps. He wanted to draw Kari's attention to it, but he did not want Tythian to notice. They were about to get seriously involved in the conversation, but a man came to the king's side and whispered something; then, he suggested they continue the next day. He stood up; he looked more bored than concerned and walked out. Jeplin knew many of the men there very well; they could not make any attempt to talk to them by orders of the king. Kari looked at their stone faces, silent but not still. She smiled. Two men led Jeplin and Kari to a room and locked the door. Kari pointed at the door, "did you hear that." She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "This is bad." agreeing with her sentiment. "Though it's not as bad as it could be." There were plates of food left for them already; Jeplin expressed his happiness that they were placed in the same room, alluding that their intended facade was working.

As night fell, Jeplin was careful to avoid making noise; he creeped his way to the door; Kari followed suit. Jeplin pulled a small dagger from his undershirt and whittled his way through the wood that contained the locking mechanism. He pushed the door open slowly, then ensured no guards or soldiers were wandering the hall. Everything was dark; they seemed to be in a hallway no one else inhabited. The torch holsters were empty, which they were thankful for. They were not novices to the secret walkways in the castle, thanks to King Richon and his desire for their protection during their ceremonial coronation. They reached the passage that led to the throne room and slowly pushed it open. The dying fire pits reflected eerie shadows on the walls, and the enormous windows did not help create more light. Jeplin slowly walked to the pillar in front of him and looked around it. No one was there from the throne through the long hall to the door. They continued to stay as hidden as possible as they carefully walked over to the tables. The maps had intricate lines and plans that revolved around Asiroth. It looked like he planned on dedicating large amounts of his soldiers to its destruction. Jeplin's mouth opened as he realized all they were doing was waiting for a wrong move, and they could go after Asiroth. They were in the middle of a considerable trap. Before jeplin could get out of the hall, the doors flung open. Tythian led several soldiers with torches through the gallery, and Jeplin and Kari met them with their backs to the empty throne. "How dare you!" Tythian exclaimed, "You shall follow the rules and stay in your room." This was part of your plan, don't pretend to be angry." Jelin said coyly. You underestimated us. Jeplin addressed the men behind Tythian. "You see." He pointed to the plans on the table. "These are plans to attack and destroy asiroth. He planned to use edegar, the abandoned and forgotten home of henry, to house troops, then he was planning on setting us up to try and give the people of Redponn a reason to turn on us, allowing his plans to continue." Tythians expressions remained still and emotionless like stone. "The only problem is we are ahead of you." "We caught you, "you're not ahead of me just because you found out my plans; you will never leave this room. He drew his sword. "A bit cautious aren't you," Kari commented. "Afraid of the truth? Tythian's eyes grew wider, wondering if they knew more than he thought. Jeplin continued to address the soldiers. You know it's funny; he keeps soldiers surrounding him all the time; it's almost as if he is protecting himself from assassination. Jeplin then looked into Tythian's eyes directly and purposefully. The soldiers looked to them for answers, but there were not any words. Tythian began to walk towards Jeplin. Dozens of men came in behind Tythian almost as if they were summoned to watch the slaughter." Your lies are useless here." He spat out angrily, holding his sword in front of him. He walked down the middle of the room toward Jeplin and Kari. Jeplin looked to his sides to see the escape options., "You think you can take our weapons and lock us in a room, but that will not stop us. We will end this war." "You are trapped." Tythan continued. "You can kill us if you want, but we are not the only ones who know your secret." Tythain grew angrier. "What do you mean?" He said, walking closers still with his sword pointing at him. "Robert." Jeplin said, "Robert knows what you did, and he will not rest until you die." The soldiers were still confused and waited with bated breath for answers. Kari walked over to a soldier, and without anyone else able to see or hear, she mouthed something to her. That soldier then passed the information she heard to the others. The murmuring and anger got louder. "Silence!' Tythian screamed. the air stood still. "Say it." Tythian urged tyrannically.

"Tythian of Redponn, we know that you killed your father" "Ha." you are mistaken, you see; I did not kill my father; you did. Jeplin looked confused. Kari looked at Tythians face, and a torch danced across his pale skin. She realized what he meant. Kari began to back away. "Jeplin," she whispered. "He's not Richon's son." She continued to try to get his attention without tythian noticing. But it was too late. Thythian smiled and pointed his sword at Kari. Look the girl figured it out; not only that, but the girl stole my servants. You will be a great pleasure to kill." Jeplin turned to her. Just as he did, Tythian charged at him with the sword.

She jumped in front of Jeplin and shoved Tythain to the ground.

The room was haunted by torches, and the windows only allowed the night's dark fingers to hold the air. Tythian jumped up. Kari looked to the soldiers, who were all motionless. Kari was uncertain of their loyalty. She ran to Jeplin's side as Tythian lunged at his chest. Kari watched everything as if time stood still. She pulled out the metal tool from her vest, and flames engulfed them. As soon as the fire appeared, she waved her hand, and they were gone. The soldiers watched as tythian stood. "YOU!" it was you all along! I have spent my life working to harness the power, and you had the answer. Jeplin, a bit surprised, stood.

"Everyone, stay still.": Kari said, holding the stick in her hand. "I don't like back and forth, and I'm tired of the rumors. Tythian did kill Richon, but Tythian is not Richon's son." Jeplin looked at her. He suddenly realized who he was. His mouth opened slowly in awe. "You are henry's son." He couldn't believe it. Tythian laughed, "you act like that has nothing to do with you," he turned to the guards and Kari, "don't let him fool you, "he, too, is a son of henry. My brother, my older brother. You don't look surprised," he said to Kari. He was disappointed; he wanted her trust in Jeplin to be destroyed. "I already knew." She said curtly. "It is a foolish game to play with emotions amid a war. People get attached and invested in revenge, which leads to their demise. For me, it is different," she continued; "for me, the same connections I make are what bring out my power. She slowly walked to the window. "It angers me to know that you took advantage of this kingdom and mine just for power." She turned around abruptly. She left no remarks of pleasantness on her face. "For the record, it was me." Tythian looked confused. "I was the one who killed your father, Tythian. And since you have taken his place, leading the parade of war and death, I will kill you too." He was a bit shocked, not an emotion that was common for him. He got onto his knees and begged her to let him go. He pulled at her heart and compassion. "Please, I knew your father; he would want me to stay alive; he saw my potential. She walked to him. "you knew my father, George?" "of course, he said desperately. "You knowing my father has no effect on my decision. This has been fun, but I'm tired of your games, and your emotional memories will not sway me. He stood angrily and ordered the soldiers to kill her. She smiled, knowing she was right. The soldiers did not move. He ordered them again. "They know you are not their ruler," Jeplin said, amused. Kari lifted her rod, and Tythian charged her with his sword. He tried to plunge it into her chest, but the flames reached him first. His body collapsed on the marble floor. Smoke fluttered in large clumps from his burning flesh. The soldiers kneeled in front of Kari. Her face turned red; she turned to jeplin. He smiled at her and then kneeled at her side. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up.